FCC Pushes for Retrans Peace

10/18/2010 12:01 AM Eastern

By: By John Eggerton

Washington — Withoutnaming any names, FederalCommunications Commissionchairman Julius Genachowskisaid last week that his agencycontinued to talk with the partiesinvolved in ongoing retransmission-consent negotiations —a group that would prominentlyinclude Fox Networks and CablevisionSystems — and thathe was hoping all sides wouldcome to an agreement.

“We will work with the differentparties to try and encouragedeals being done in a timelyway,” he said.

The deadline in the Fox-Cablevisiontalks was Oct. 15 (story,this page).

The chairman, responding toa question at a press conferencefollowing the FCC’s monthlypublic meeting, said he continuedto be concerned about theimpact on consumers of thoseimpasses and that the FCC continuedto “push for greater informationand notice” of potentialprogramming disruptions.

Asked to elaborate, he pointedto the retransmission-consentimpasses at the end of lastyear. He said one of the challengeswas the possibility thatsignals might be pulled on a Fridayof the New Year’s weekendbefore some “compelling” programmingaired (college bowlgames in particular).

He also said he thought thatall the parties involved “understandthat there are real risksof not reaching a deal.” Oneof those risks is congressionalpressure on the FCC to step in.

The commission earlier thisyear solicited comment onchanges to the retransmissionconsentregime proposed in apetition for rulemaking by cablecompanies, satellite operatorsand others, but has not takenany action on the request.